Residents of the city of Saint Paul can register online for an eCard that will give you access to online services, like e-books.

Other Card Types

Minnesota Residents

Minnesota residents who live outside of the city of Saint Paul can have their home library card registered for use in the Saint Paul Public Library System.

Residents of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, or Washington County: if you do not have a card from your home library system, we can take your application for a library card and send it on to your home library system. We will issue a temporary card, good for checking out 2 items and accessing other library services. Your home library system will then send you a permanent card.

For residents of Minnesota served by libraries not participating in the Minnesota Reciprocal Borrowing Compact, a library card is available for an annual fee of $60.

Non-Resident Cards

For residents of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, a library card is available for an annual fee of $60.

Safe at Home

The Saint Paul Public Library participates in the Safe at Home address confidentiality program. Any adult applying for a library card who is in possession of an official Safe at Home program card will be registered using the program address.

Expiration Dates

Most library card registrations are good for 2 years.

Registrations for non-Minnesota resident cards are good for 1 year.

Educator status cards are good through the school year and need to be re-registered each August.

Replacement Cards

Identification Requirements

To get a card, you must have photo ID, proof of date of birth, and proof of your current address, such as:

A current picture ID with your name, date of birth, and current address

OR

A current picture ID with your name, proof of date of birth (e.g. birth certificate), and a piece of recently received mail with your name and current address.

Identification Requirements for Children

There is no minimum age for a library card.

Children must be present when being issued a card or replacement card.

Children may apply for a library card by meeting the adult identification requirements or by one of the following:

They are accompanied by a parent or guardian who meets the above identification requirements.

They present a postcard mailed to them by the Saint Paul Public Library. (Children can have a postcard mailed from their library and then return it to the library when it has been received.)

The library card application is part of a school class visit.

They present valid State ID.

We never have, and never will, inquire about citizenship or immigration/refugee status. Within our buildings, our resources and information are available to all, whether they have a library card or not.